Page:Into Mexico with General Scott (1920).djvu/126

 *ered with sand, and the trenches and the city could not be seen through the sand cloud.

"We gwine to attack, jest the same," Pompey proclaimed. "We cain't see the enemy; enemy can't see us. Fust t'ing dey know, dar we'll be. Wind cain't stop bagonets. No, suh! Oof! Don't believe I laike dis country, nohow. If Gin'ral Scott don't take us away, I'se gwine back to Virginny. Yaller feber's done arriv. Dey's got it yonduh in Very Cruz, already. Mebbe we don't want dat Very Cruz. I ain't pinin' to stay 'round hyar. Nigger don't stand no show 'gin yaller feber. Dey say dar's a big passel ob Mexican sojers collectin' in back country to capture us when yaller feber an' dese no'thers gets done with us. So if Gin'ral Scott don't quit foolin' an' mahch away, I'se gwine by myself."

Soon after breakfast, or about eight o'clock, the firing stopped once more; another white flag had been taken in to General Scott. This time it proved to be in earnest, for the batteries did not reopen during the day, nor during the night.

The surrender was set for the morning of the twenty-ninth, at ten o'clock sharp.

Jerry looked up Hannibal, and learned more news from him than he could get by listening to Lieutenant Grant and Lieutenant Smith talk, or to Pompey chatter.

"We bagged 'em both," Hannibal asserted. "City and castle, too. General Scott didn't start in to say anything about the castle. All he wanted was the city, and then the castle would have to surrender or starve. But the Mexican general offered